In celebration of National 2-1-1 Day on 2-11-2021, United Way of Southern Kentucky is asking for your help to shine a light on Southern Kentucky’s 2-1-1 services which are available to all residents across the 10-county BRADD region.
Warren County Judge Executive Mike Buchanon and Bowling Green City Mayor Todd Alcott issued an official proclamation declaring February 11, 2021 as “2-1-1 Day” in Bowling Green and Warren County.
The Federal Communications Commission assigned 2-1-1 as a three-digit telephone number for the purpose of providing quick and easy access to information about health and human services. Contact specialists work with callers to assess their needs, determine their options and provide information and referral services that can offer assistance and/or intervene in crisis situations. The Southern Kentucky 2-1-1 is available to take calls 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year and recently started providing a texting option for those who prefer that method of communication. Now, individuals can text their zip code to 898211 and a contact specialist will assist them.
Throughout the last year, 2-1-1 received a record number of phone calls, spending 48,545 minutes helping 8,467 individuals in the 10-county region locate available resources in their area. Due to the COVID-19 health pandemic, local needs increased significantly and nearly 15,000 non-profit agency referrals were provided by Southern Kentucky 2-1-1.
Additionally, 2-1-1 also serves as a sociological barometer for service providers, funders and other stakeholders within the community by identifying community needs. While personal identifiers of callers are kept confidential, the aggregate data that is collected assists with improvements to the human services delivery system as a whole.
“Now, more than ever before, we are seeing the need for United Way of Southern Kentucky’s 2-1-1. We are able to provide real-time information and referral services to individuals and families needing assistance.” says April Owens, 2-1-1 Contact Center Manager.
Today, Kentucky residents across the state can talk with a compassionate Call Specialist who can provide information and referrals that assist families and impact communities, one phone call at a time. In real time, callers receive service provider information concerning utilities, housing, food, transportation, support services for an aging parent, where to find help for addiction, mental health issues and much more. 2-1-1 is the place to call when you don’t know where to go for help when you need it.
In honor of National 2-1-1 Day on 2-11-2021, the Southern Kentucky 2-1-1 Contact Center asks that individuals across Southern Kentucky help celebrate by spreading the word about the 2-1-1 services available in our area via social media and/or within your organizations, companies and businesses.
For more information about Southern Kentucky 2-1-1, log on to the United Way of Southern Kentucky website at www.uwsk.org. United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) is a local, independent, nonprofit organization that works to identify and address the issues that matter most, change conditions and improve lives. The mission of United Way of Southern Kentucky is to be the leader in bringing together the resources to build a stronger, more caring community. United Way is focused on the building blocks for good quality of life – Education, Income, Health and Safety Net. Therefore, the vision of United Way is a Southern Kentucky where all residents are educated, healthy and financially stable. Incorporated as a charitable non-profit entity in 1956, UWSK has long served a major role in the community by bringing people together to create opportunities that make a measurable difference in the quality of life for people where they live and work.